A Date With Destiny, A Dance With Death
by BritishPixie
Summary: My take on Dracula's thoughts when he's at the ball with Anna. Read and review, please!


**I was watching the movie the other night, and I thought I'd do for the ballroom scene what I did for Haldir's death in The Two Towers. Dracula's thoughts while he's at the ball with Anna. Also, I realize he didn't try to sex her up in the movie, but given the character's personality, I figure it's not far from what would have logically happened.**

**Oh, and I own nothing here. As usual... I wish I owned Dracula... but I don't.**

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Garish opulence filled the room. Circus performers mingled with dancers and musicians, and while the room was filled with candles, it was strangely cold. Most of the dancers were dark clad, and blended together. One couple stood out, however, both because of their more colorful ensembles and because of the noble features they both possessed. One, Princess Anna Valerious, seemed to be a bit vague, as though entranced, while the other, Count Vladislaus Dracula, smiled triumphantly as he led her around on his arm, moving her how he wished. He pulled her to him sharply, pressing his body against hers, and removed their masks, wanting to see her beautiful face.

He leaned in, his lips hovering above hers for a moment, almost devouring her breath, reveling in her warmth, before he crushed his lips against hers, claiming her as he'd wanted to for years now. The contact woke the princess, making her cry in protest, her mind fighting against his madly. Not that it mattered; no matter how strong her will, his would always be that much stronger.

"How does it feel to be a puppet on my string?" he asked, lowering her into a dip rather sharply, then bringing her back up against him, making sure that he was far closer than any proper gentleman would be. The look in her eyes was pure hatred, with a small tinge of desire, unconsciously brought on by his closeness.

"I won't let you trade me, Count," she spat, moving fluidly with the music as he commanded, if more than a little unwillingly.

"I have no intention of trading you. And if I know Van Helsing, which I do, he's not planning on making a trade either." He spun her about, crushing her against his body once more before moving her shoulders back to dip her once more. "Neither of us has ever settled for half." He raised her up again, teasing her slightly by arching his hips against hers. He felt her body shiver, and he could feel the beginnings of arousal making her grow warmer in his arms.

"You make my skin crawl," she said, disgust evident in her voice. He smiled and moved her around so he pressed against her back, lips hovering against her throat. He could feel the pulse of blood pounding through her veins, making his hunger rise. He suppressed the urge to take her now, wanting to prolong the torture he was putting her through.

"This is not all I could do with your skin…" he whispered, allowing his lips to brush against the sensitive skin. His right hand moved up a little, his thumb grazing over her breast through the padding of her crimson dress, smiling a little as he felt her heart jump slightly at the unfamiliar contact. His left hand was down low on her hip, grasping slightly at her skirt, almost threatening to pull it up so he could take her right then and there. He almost laughed when he felt part of her mind welcome the idea; perhaps he would be able to take her willingly, without the trance he'd placed her in. He turned her back to face him, rejoining the dance with his body still pressed against hers.

He spun them around, moving in front of a large mirror and lowering her into a dip. He chuckled as he saw her hovering there alone in the reflection, the entire room seeming to be empty. "Don't we make a lovely couple?" he asked sarcastically, looking down at her, his breath quickening as he gazed at her full breasts for a moment before lifting her up against his body again. His smile widened as she whispered to herself in shock; she hadn't realized that every single one of the guests and performers were vampires, though she'd suspected that quite a few were.

"I'm looking for a new bride, Anna… someone strong… and beautiful." His eyes never left hers, looking for any indication that she would want to be his. That part of her that had awakened to his touch, that dormant bit that could only be described as femininity, desired him, but her conscious mind still was filled with thoughts of duty and honor; both of which would only be satisfied with his death. "One brief moment of pain… and we could be together forever…" he whispered, tugging her close against him and placing her hand on his shoulder so he could hold on her hips with both hands. He molded his body against hers again, one leg moving to press between hers for a moment, her eyelids fluttering as her responsive body rebelled against her vengeance driven mind. He flushed a little with his own desire; Aleera would be insanely jealous, as she had always been when he had been attracted to other women, but he didn't care; he couldn't help but imagine Anna's prone body moving with his, entwined in a passionate embrace.

"You have no heartbeat…" she whispered almost innocently as his mind guided her hand over his chest. He shifted a little so his left hand could support her back as he lowered her down more than he had before, letting her head fall back to fully reveal her throat. "Perhaps it just needs to be rekindled…" he half-hissed, his other hand moving up in the valley of her breasts to slide along her throat, tracing the veins, feeling her pulse pounding. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to her soft cries of fear and slight yearning before beginning to let his fangs come out with a snarl, his eyes turning a bright, pale blue.

If he had been watching her face, he might have seen her gaze fall on one of the trapeze artists coming towards them, might have noticed her expression change when someone came through the crowd towards the fire-eater. But his eyes were on her throat, on the vein that would slake his thirst and grant him a new bride, and his mind on the image of their bridal bed that would surely come later that night. And so when the fire-eater was thrown against him, setting his gold cloak ablaze, he was unprepared for the flames that licked painfully against his shoulders, and even less prepared when Van Helsing swooped down and took Anna from his arms. He tossed the smoldering cloak in a corner, shoving several of his subjects away from him.

"Gabriel… Oh, Gabriel…" His voice was a teasing sing-song, mocking his former friend. He walked out into the middle of the room again, looking up at the pair. "Oh, Gabriel… Welcome to my summer palace." He smiled confidently, his smile widening as he heard a door opening somewhere behind him. He heard a child's voice directing him to look towards the door, where he saw Igor and several other vampires dragging the monster. The creature was furious, swearing and misquoting the Bible, all of which simply made Dracula's glee in the situation more potent. He turned back to them, his gaze falling on Anna for a moment, a little regrettably, since now he would have no other choice but to kill her the next time he saw her. He shoved his lust from his mind, resigning himself to the fact that they would be enemies until one of them died.

"Now that everything is as it should be… Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you… Van Helsing!" He shouted the last words, raising his hand up to gesture grandly towards them, prompting the other vampires to reveal themselves. He smiled as he saw that Anna was trying to stay and fight, making him regret the necessity of her death even more. He threw his arms open as his minions rushed around him, running after the escaping humans.

"I want to stay and help kill them!" Aleera hissed as he half dragged her out, helping Igor strap the monster onto the raft.

"No. Let the others have their fun. We need to get the laboratory equipment to Castle Dracula. They know what our plan is now, and we need to be certain our work is uninterrupted. Besides…" He turned, his tone becoming seductive, "I need to take care of my only bride…" Dracula grimaced slightly as he bent to kiss the swell of her breast, hearing the wonton moans she freely let loose, missing the innocence that Anna had possessed. Aleera hadn't been like that for centuries, but she was all he had now, and he would have to make due. At least until he took another bride, because one would not have the energy to keep him satisfied, as he had found with Verona.

He turned back as he saw a brilliant light shining from the windows of his castle, shielding Aleera from the beams. He could feel that all the other vampires had been killed, his knees buckling a little from the force of their deaths. He composed himself quickly as the raft hit water and began to row towards land as he and his last bride took to the rain filled skies, moving quickly to Castle Frankenstein. Aleera laughed joyfully; this was the one time that he really found pleasure in being with her, when they were flying. She had always liked to fly. The last thing he saw before he turned to the clouds before him was Van Helsing, swimming desperately towards the misfit creature he had befriended.


End file.
